


Care of Magical Creatures

by TheFrenchPress



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Adventure & Romance, Care of Magical Creatures, F/M, Fluff, Friendship, Post-Hogwarts, Post-War, Romance, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-04
Updated: 2021-03-13
Packaged: 2021-03-16 09:22:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 21,230
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29822811
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheFrenchPress/pseuds/TheFrenchPress
Summary: Her pale skin and silky blonde hair was incandescent in the afternoon sun, making it look like spun gold. Severus wondered what it would be like if that sunlight were to kiss his skin as well.This is a (completed) work in progress - rating for later chapters.
Relationships: Luna Lovegood/Severus Snape
Comments: 2
Kudos: 10





	1. Hogwarts

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author.

\--

The wind swept over the green, grassy hills, washing through the countryside and into the castle. All of the windows had been thrown open to welcome the spring after one of the coldest winters in recent memory. 

Severus Snape stared out across the grounds of Hogwarts from his perch on a windowsill on the third floor. Despite what most people thought, he did not enjoy living in the cold, musty dungeons. He enjoyed the sun as much as the next person. The sun just didn’t particularly like him, or so it seemed. Every time he ventured outdoors, his pale skin would burn to a crisp within thirty minutes. He really needed to formulate some type of skin protection potion if there was any chance of getting outdoors in the near future. 

Sighing heavily, he leaned his head back against the cool stone of the window frame. Tomorrow, classes would resume after a weekend that had been far too short. He still had first year potions essays to mark before the day was done. Bracing one hand against the wall beside him, Severus moved to haul himself up so he could resume his tedious busy work. Just as he was about to move away from the window, though, something caught his eye suddenly that gave him pause.

Moving back to the window, he stared out onto the grounds to a spot just by the lake. There was a girl there whose blonde hair fell past her waist, the silky tendrils swept around by the breeze. The way the sun shone off it made it look like spun gold. Squinting, he could only just barely make out the person who the locks belonged to. Luna Lovegood sat beside one of the smaller willow trees, with Ginny Weasley sitting right beside her. The branches of the tree blocked his view of the red head every time the breeze swept over the two young women. 

It was funny; Severus never normally noticed any of his students unless they were abysmal or outstanding students, and even then, never outside of a classroom situation. It was odd then that he had noticed the Lovegood girl. It didn’t matter that her hair was shone in the sunlight. She was a strange girl, he would give her that. She had not, though, been one he had ever considered for any length of time. 

He gazed at her then in spite of himself, watching as her unruly hair blew around. She looked peaceful and happy from this distance. Part of him was jealous of the tranquility she appeared to have found that sunny spring day. And why should she not be? The seventh year students had their N.E.W.T’s just a few short weeks away, and a couple of weeks following that, they would graduate and become a part of the adult world, leaving Hogwarts and their childhoods behind. 

Severus envied them. During that time of his life he had already been drafted to become a Death Eater – Lucius Malfoy and the Dark Lord had already had their hooks in him, luring him in with the promise of a better life. It had all been a sham of course; he realised too late that Voldemort and his crazy ideas were not going to lead him to a better life. Dumbledore had been the only one he could turn to – the only one who could offer him redemption from the poor choices of his youth. 

Blinking, he gave himself a mental shake. He had no reason to be living in the past. The Dark Lord was no more, and his life was different from what it had once been. There were no more masters ruling his life and dictating his path. He was the master of his own fate now. 

‘Severus?’ a voice said from a few meters away. 

Severus turned to face the person who had said his name, spotting Minerva McGonagall. ‘How can I help you, Minerva?’ he replied. 

‘You looked quite lost in your thoughts,’ she answered. ‘Is everything quite alright, Severus?’ 

‘I am fine, Minerva,’ he said, not looking her in the eye. 

He saw her eyebrows shoot up, clearly not believing a word he said. She was one of the few people who knew him well enough to know when he was lying. It made him extremely uncomfortable. Minerva walked over to him, joining him where he stood at the window. He saw her look out to see what he had been staring at, pulling back to examine his reaction. He kept his face neutral. 

‘It’s wonderful that the students are able to spend time outdoors on such a lovely day. A year ago, this would have been unthinkable,’ she pointed out. 

He nodded. A year ago, the students were being marched around the castle like soldiers, wands on them at all times. The memories of his time as Headmaster made him glad that he had stepped down despite encouragement to remain. Minerva was better suited to the job, and he was happy to assist her as the deputy headmaster. 

‘Miss Lovegood and Miss Weasley are both good students,’ Minerva continued. ‘I can understand the temptation to take a break.’ 

‘Yes, the outdoors does look inviting,’ Severus agreed gruffly.

‘You should go outside and get some fresh air, Severus,’ she said seriously. ‘It will do you some good.’

‘I will only burn if I go out there,’ he replied. 

‘Sit in the shade.’ 

‘You plan to nag me until I go, don’t you?’ Severus asked with a heavy sigh.

She smirked at him, turning on her heel and walking away down the hall. He watched her until she was out of sight, shaking his head. The woman was a Gryffindor through and through. She had all the subtlety of a mallet to the face. He paused beside the window, glancing out it one last time. Finally caving to temptation and Minerva’s suggestion, Severus decided it was time to venture outdoors. 

He walked down the stairs and through the oak front doors, took a breath and closed his eyes. When he reopened them, all he could see was the green of the trees and  grass. Continuing down to the lawn, he sought the path that led to the lake . Despite the fact that some of his students were there, the idea of sitting under a tree by the lake seemed very appealing. Trudging along in his dragon hide boots, he could see the two girls he had been observing before, still sitting beneath the willow. 

Severus deliberately walked around to the next willow tree, close enough that he was still visible, but far enough away that he was not intruding on their space. He located a thick, clean patch of grass between the roots of the willow, and after arranging his robes so they wouldn’t crease, sat down, leaning his back against the smooth trunk of the tree. Closing his eyes, he crossed his arms over his chest, wand clutched in his hand tightly, and decided to have his first afternoon nap in many years. 

‘Professor?’ 

Severus felt a warm hand touch his shoulder, gently nudging him out of his sleep-state. His eyes flickered open slowly, his vision blurred slightly from his nap. When he could finally see the person who had woken him clearly, he sat up sharply, attempting to stand. Luna Lovegood gently pushed him back down with the hand on his shoulder, which he didn’t resist. If he had stood, he likely would have fallen straight back down. 

The sun was beginning to set, the sky turning an orange red – like fire. He looked up again at Lovegood, completely stunned. Her hair was golden, falling around her shoulders like a river of silk. The tips of her hair brushed against his knee, the black a stark contrast against it. Her silver eyes were wide with something akin to concern, which was strange. He couldn’t remember the last time another person was concerned for him – well besides Minerva. 

Severus cleared his throat. ‘Can I help you, Miss Lovegood?’ he asked. 

‘I thought perhaps you’d want to be woken before nightfall,’ she answered. ‘It’s beginning to get dark.’ 

He searched her face for an ulterior motive, but saw none. Her eyes were innocent, and her skin, smooth and flawless and fair. 

‘I appreciate the thought, Miss Lovegood,’ he replied curtly, wondering if her skin would be as smooth and soft as it looked. 

He placed his own, work-roughened hand over hers, gently prying it from his shoulder. Her hand was so small and delicate, and as expected, her skin was soft to the touch. Severus looked into the young woman’s eyes, wondering if she was repulsed by his touch. He saw nothing but slight confusion and the same concern as before. She should have been pulling away, disgusted that a teacher would touch her – that he would touch her. He was disgusted with himself for enjoying her touch. She was a student – she was eighteen, perhaps nineteen at most. He shouldn’t want to continue to feel her skin. 

She gasped ever so quietly then, startling him from the depths of his thoughts. He pulled her hand from his shoulder and quickly released it before pushing himself into a standing position. Carefully, she stood as well, staring up at his face. The sunset made her eyes look almost purple. She was quite stunning to behold as she was, dressed in a simple white t-shirt and black Muggle jeans. 

‘You should return to the castle,’ he told her quietly. 

‘Yes, I will,’ she said, flashing him the faintest of smiles. ‘Good day, Professor.’ 

Severus nodded, afraid to say any more to her. He watched her as she walked away, her golden hair bouncing and swaying as she did. She was beautiful. He cursed inwardly, forcing his eyes to look out at the lake. His thoughts were completely inappropriate for a teacher. Angry with himself, he began to make his way back up to the castle. He would need to push all thoughts of the Lovegood girl out of his head. With a sigh laden with a heavy burden, he trudged through the doors, wondering why he was suddenly beginning to lose his mind – and how he was going to deal with his errant thoughts.

\--

Severus rubbed the spot between his eyebrows, rubbing in circles to his temples where he massaged a little harder. His headaches over the past two weeks had grown steadily worse. There had been many essays and exams to mark, not to mention preparing his seventh year students for their N.E.W.T exams. His level of stress was through the roof. He kept reminding himself that it was only a week until it was all over and he could sit back and settle into the end of year routine where the students would help clean classrooms and the like in preparation for the summer. 

Looking up, he cast his gaze over the Great Hall. All of the students were cheerful despite their exams, and were chatting away and eating loudly. Without even meaning to, his gaze fell upon the Ravenclaw table, his eyes immediately seeking out Luna Lovegood. She sat at the end of the table closest to the teacher’s table, her hair twisted up in a knot at the back of her head with her wand stuck into it. In her ears she wore some bizarre earrings that looked vaguely like a root vegetable of some sort. Looking at the girl, he could tell why some of the other students thought she was a little… odd. 

From the perspective of one who had known her for many years, though, he could tell that some of the dreaminess had faded from the girl’s eyes. In its place there was a quiet, intelligent young woman. She was still a little quirky - he doubted very much that it would ever truly fade. But she appeared to him as someone who had been forced to grow up in a very short period of time. War and dark times did that to a person. 

Her lips were upturned in that faint, peculiar little smile of hers, a book spread out in front of her. He wondered if she was studying or if she was just reading for leisure. 

‘How is Miss Lovegood doing?’ he heard Minerva ask from beside him suddenly. 

Turning his head sharply to look at her, he frowned. ‘I wouldn’t really know.’ 

Minerva nodded, flashing a knowing smile at him – a smile that made him sick with nerves. ‘You know, Luna Lovegood will turn nineteen just over one month from now. She’s an adult, not to mention, nearly a Hogwarts graduate,’ she said in hushed tones. ‘What she does or doesn’t do is entirely up to her. And the same goes for you when she leaves here. I know you’ve been watching her these past couple of weeks. You would be a fool not to notice how lovely she is.’ 

Severus felt like he had been punched in the stomach. He had been trying so hard to prevent the other staff and students from noticing his observation of her. He had tried so hard to ignore her, but since that day by the lake, he couldn’t stop thinking about her silky hair, her soft, supple skin and that quirky, wide-eyed smile... and now Minerva was essentially giving her blessing – pushing him towards the girl. She should know that he could not allow himself this. 

It didn’t matter that she was of age, graduating and leaving the school. The reasons he had to pursue her were also the reasons to leave her alone as well. She had a bright future. She may not have been an outstanding student in his class, but she did reasonably well, and had a natural aptitude for Magical Creatures and Herbology, and there were many places she would be able to travel and study in those fields. If, by some miracle, he was able to attract a woman as lovely and kind as she, he would be doing her a disservice by tying her down and preventing her from achieving great things. 

‘Minerva, the girl would never be attracted to me,’ he said seriously. ‘I am old, unattractive and surly. These are not the kind of qualities that beautiful, smart, interesting women look for in a suitor.’ 

The older woman clucked at him. ‘You are not old, Severus Snape. When you are as old as I am, you will know what “old” truly is,’ she scolded. ‘Thirty-nine is not as old as you like to think it is. And you are not an unattractive man either. In my day, with your height, your dark hair, and those eyes – many girls found those qualities incredibly alluring.’ 

‘Flattery will get you nowhere, Minerva,’ he said dryly. 

He saw her victory smirk before turning his attention back to the students. It appeared that Lovegood had already left the Great Hall that evening. He looked down at the plate of food before him and realised he did not have much of an appetite that evening. What he really needed was a decent night’s sleep so that he could face the next week of exams. Standing, he nodded and expressed the usual pleasantries to the staff before sweeping out of the hall, his dark robes billowing around him as he strode out. 

He made a beeline down to the dungeons, completely ignoring all of the students he passed on his way. Once in his office, he collected the essays and exams that required grading and decided to go up to the library. The cold, dank dungeons were not a place he wanted to be that warm spring evening. In the library at least, he could sit beside a window and enjoy the light breeze blowing in while he completed his more tedious responsibilities. 

The library was a little busier than he was comfortable with, but he would not be deterred. He wanted his window and air. Severus walked towards the back of the library to the place he always occupied when he did occasionally venture up there. He rounded a bookshelf but stopped in his tracks when he saw the silvery-gold waves of long hair attached to the one young woman he had been trying his hardest to forget about. 

Lovegood was at  _ his _ table. She was sitting with her head propped on her hand as she leaned on the table before her. Her focus was somewhere outside of the library. He wondered what she was looking at. A gentle breeze rippled past her, blowing her hair over one shoulder and as he breathed in, he could detect the scent of jasmine wafting over him. He closed his eyes for a moment, enjoying her scent. It was pure and clean and sweet, just like the young woman herself. 

Severus knew at this point he should have turned around and walked away. But a part of him was a glutton for punishment, and in the end that part won out as he made the decision to walk over to where she sat. She didn’t appear to realise she was no longer alone, so he cleared his throat, alerting her to his presence. Luna looked up at him, her eyes widening in surprise. 

‘Professor Snape,’ she said softly. ‘Can I help you?’

‘You’re in my spot,’ he answered in a clipped tone, knowing that the words coming out of his mouth were rather ridiculous. 

Lovegood immediately gasped and hurried to gather her things. ‘I’m sorry, sir,’ she said quietly. ‘I’ll just get out of your way…’ 

‘Stay,’ he said gruffly, staring at her until she ceased trying to put her things into her satchel. ‘I will use one side of the desk. It is not my desk. I just prefer to work where I won’t be disturbed.’ 

‘I wouldn’t want to disrupt you…’ 

‘Stay,’ he repeated firmly. 

She ceased trying to put her book away, once more spreading it out on the table before her. Curiosity won out, and he took a peek at the title of the book. Unsurprisingly it was _The_ _Monster Book of Monsters_ , an absurd title that had been introduced to the curriculum by none other than Hagrid a few years before. He wasn’t certain that the book would be useful at this stage in her education. Perhaps she just liked reading it? As he sat down, he noted that the book itself was making a sound similar to the purring of a cat. 

‘That is a ridiculous book,’ he pointed out. 

Lovegood looked up at him with a small smile. ‘It’s not so bad,’ she said, a slight dreamy quality to her voice. ‘I think it’s rather clever.’ 

‘Of course you do,’ Severus said, shaking his head. 

He placed a pile of essays on the table, pulling out a quill and some red ink from the pocket of his robes. Beginning his work, he couldn’t help but look at her from behind the curtains of his dark hair. He liked his hair; it helped to be able to observe people without their notice. She was tapping lightly on the pages of her book with a lead pencil of all things, the pink eraser at the end muffling the sound slightly. On closer observation, the earrings she wore were small carrots. They were made of enamel and looked ridiculous, but for some reason, they were endearing. 

He growled quietly in frustration. Severus was mad at himself. He desperately needed her to graduate and leave. The sooner, the better. She was far too distracting and alluring, with her dreamy expressions, the smell of her hair, her soft skin – her purity and innocence despite the horrors and atrocities she had experienced at such a young age. Beginning with the death of her mother, and continuing into her teens and her life at Hogwarts. He wondered how she could smile and be so normal – well as normal as Luna Lovegood could reasonably be. She was still such an oddity at times - a mystery. Snapping himself out of his train of thought, he pushed his hair back and determined himself to simply ignore her and get on with his work. 

For the next hour, he sat marking his essays, and she simply sat and read. Every now and then he would look up and examine her briefly. When he paused to look at her again, he saw that her silver eyes were focused on his hands. She was watching him mark essays? To what end, he wondered. Uncomfortable with her scrutiny, he cleared his throat, startling her. 

‘You still have so many left to mark,’ she said. 

‘Just so. I fear I will not be sleeping much tonight,’ he replied. 

‘I can help,’ she offered. ‘I did well enough in Potions to mark the younger classes for you.’ 

Her face was so earnest and she was right – she was capable of marking the exams of his younger students. He pushed a stack of second year exams towards her and handed her the parchment with the correct answers as a reference should she need it. 

‘Thank you, Miss Lovegood,’ he said, trying to maintain his cool when she flashed her strange smile at him. 

They worked together in silence except for the occasional student passing by on their way to the shelf at the very back of the room. An hour later, she placed the last exam on the top of her completed pile and dropped the quill in her hand, stretching out her cramped fingers. 

‘Well, that was a nice change of pace,’ she said with a grin. ‘I’d never imagined marking exams would be quite so enjoyable.’ 

Severus had to cough to cover a bark of laughter at her comment. ‘You are a strange girl, Miss Lovegood,’ he said plainly. 

She scrunched her nose for a moment when he said her name. ‘I will leave Hogwarts soon. When I am no longer a student here, do you think you might be able to call me Luna instead of Miss Lovegood?’ she asked. 

Severus was stumped by her question. Would there be a time in the near future when he would allow himself to use her given name? He desired it now, but it was inappropriate. Would he see her when she had left Hogwarts? Probably not. She needed to go abroad – travel, study, and experience an exciting life. If he did see her, he felt that she would not be reaching her potential. The United Kingdom would only serve to stifle such a creative, spirited young woman. She was so lovely – there would be no lack of suitors for her when she departed the school. Certainly there would be many better men for her than he, no matter what Minerva said. 

‘No, Miss Lovegood,’ he said, turning his attention back down to the parchment before him. ‘I think it would be best that we remained formal.’ 

He looked up just in time to see the light in her eyes disappear. He could see that she was disappointed; he was unhappy to say the words himself. Sighing, he turned his attention back to his work once more, oblivious to the glassiness of the silver eyes across from him. 

\--

Severus stood before the mirror, looking over himself. He wore his finest dress robes that day. They were black, as usual, but were of a finer quality and cut than his usual teaching robes. He doubted that anything could improve his appearance further. His hair was washed and neat, fingernails trimmed, and shoes polished. Closing his eyes for a moment, he sighed. It was the graduation ceremony for all of the departing seventh years that day. They would receive their diplomas, shake hands with their teachers and walk away from Hogwarts as adults. 

A part of him had been excited for the day to come. It was another year when the students would leave and he would feel the faintest trace of pride for having taught a few of them a useful skill. A bigger part of him had been dreading this day, though. It was the day that Luna Lovegood would depart Hogwarts. Over the past month, he had come to admire the young woman. She had proven herself time and again to be an intelligent, unreservedly kind, beautiful, and capable young witch. Any man would be lucky to catch the eye of such a woman. Shaking his head, he turned from the mirror, sweeping out of his chambers and up from the dungeons. 

The Great Hall was beautifully decorated. Minerva, with the help of Filius Flitwick, had produced a much more subtle décor than Dumbledore had ever created. He walked up to the platform that the staff table normally rested on, where all of the other staff were assembled for the graduation ceremony. As deputy Headmaster, he would be the one to escort the graduating class into the hall to their assigned seating. He watched in silence as the other students entered the hall in their school robes. 

Looking up at the clock at the other end of the hall, he noted that it was nearly time for the ceremony to begin. 

‘How are you, Severus?’ Minerva asked, approaching him. 

‘I am fine, Minerva,’ he replied curtly. She was trying to be kind, but he knew she was hiding her nosiness just beneath. 

‘It will be hard to watch them leave,’ She pressed, coming to stand beside him. ‘I know I will miss them.’ 

‘Minerva, I know you are trying to get some sort of information out of me regarding my feelings for Miss Lovegood, but I can assure you that there is nothing to tell,’ he said through gritted teeth. ‘She needs to leave this place and experience life beyond this school and this world. I can’t in good conscience hold her back.’ 

‘You, my dear man, are far too hard on yourself,’ Minerva scolded. ‘She is young, but you would be a good influence on her. And she would be good for you.’

‘Minerva,’ Severus warned sharply. ‘I implore you to drop the subject, please. I will not pursue the girl, no matter what the circumstance.’ 

He looked up to see Minerva’s stunned expression and knew he had been a little too snappish with her then. ‘Minerva, I apologise,’ he said seriously. 

She waved him off. ‘Don’t get your pants in a twist, Severus,’ Minerva said with a smile. 

He nodded, deciding it was time for him to go outside to greet the graduates. Walking out of the Great Hall, he was faced with the seventy-odd students that would be leaving that day. His eyes immediately sought out Lovegood, darting from face-to-face until he saw her. Her golden hair was loose around her shoulders, her face painted with only the bare minimum of makeup. She wore beautifully designed dress robes that were periwinkle with silver trim. She was an angel, the sunlight casting a glow around her head like a halo. Beside her, the vibrant, voracious young Ginny Weasley was pale in contrast. She was loved by many, but to him, she was nothing compared to Luna Lovegood. 

He forced himself to breathe once more. It was becoming harder and harder to stand firm with his convictions. Every time he saw her, his admiration for her grew. His gaze apparently lingered too long, for she glanced up in his direction and he saw that funny smile of hers grow. Soon the clock chimed, alerting him to the time. He cleared his throat, turning away from Luna and preparing to address the students. 

‘You will all please file into the Great Hall in alphabetical order, starting at the front of the hall,’ he instructed. 

They all quickly organized themselves into two lines in alphabetical order. Snape stood at the rear and they all began to walk inside in an orderly manner. 

Severus took his place back in line beside Minerva on the platform where all of the professors stood. The next thirty minutes was a blur. There were several speeches, from Minerva and both the head boy and girl, followed by an address from Kingsley Shacklebolt – the Minister for Magic. The time had come for the graduates to receive their diplomas – something he was not particularly looking forward to. Minerva began to call them up alphabetically, each of them shaking hands with their professors before finally being presented their scrolls by Kingsley. Snape robotically shook hands with each student, not really speaking. 

That was, until Luna Lovegood approached him. She stood before him, her hand outstretched, an expectant look on her face. She smiled at him, but there was a melancholy he did not expect to see in her silver eyes. He took her hand, shaking it while staring straight into her eyes. He did not expect the softness of her skin to affect him so, but it did and he could not stop himself from brushing a thumb over her knuckles. She gasped, ever so softly as he did this. 

Their eyes met once more, and he willed into them what he could not say to her out loud - that he cherished her, but there was no hope for them. He hoped she would see the truth. She nodded at him before moving along, shaking hands with the Headmistress and accepting her diploma. 

The rest of the ceremony dragged on. Severus was relieved when it was over. The chairs in the hall vanished to be replaced with tables covered in food and refreshments for the students and the parents of the graduates. It was loud, and the overall atmosphere of the room was that of merriment. Severus made his way out of the hall, managing to escape without any of the parents trying to speak with him. He spotted Potter, Granger and the Weasley clan all gathered around Ginny, glad that they were on the opposite side of the hall so he could avoid an awkward conversation with Molly and Arthur. 

Making a beeline for the dungeons, he was almost at the top of the stairs going down when he felt a small hand on his arm. He came to an abrupt halt, looking down at that all-too-familiar hand. His eyes dragged up her arm to her slender shoulders and then that spot that begged to be worshipped between her neck and collarbone. Luna Lovegood was, apparently, a hard woman to ignore. 

‘Professor, I just wanted to say thank you,’ she said a little breathlessly. ‘I know I was not a perfect student, but you are a fine teacher - the best Hogwarts has to offer. I have never met a man like you, and I doubt I will again.’ 

Her words stunned him. She was unlike any other - unfailingly kind and fair. ‘It was a pleasure, Miss Lovegood,’ he said with a nod. ‘Good luck in your future, Luna.’ 

And with those parting words, he turned on his heel and returned to his dungeons alone – just the way the fates had intended for him. 

\--

To be continued.


	2. Berkeley

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author.

\--

The sun was bright that day, shining almost blindingly brilliant down on the grassy area in the center of the college grounds. Luna squinted, looking up from her book as the glare of the sun was making it difficult to read. Sighing, she closed it and pushed it into her satchel, moving to stand and relocate. She found her way to the stone path that ran in a circle around the quad, following it to the building nearest her. She entered the library, seeking out a nice quiet table she could study at, and located a carrel near a window that looked out on the grassy quad, opening the window to let some air in. She did so enjoy the weather when it was on the cusp between spring and summer. California suited her well. She loved Berkeley and the people who lived there.

A student city for both Muggle and Magical universities, Berkeley was the natural choice for her when she had finished her schooling at Hogwarts. Luna had been torn slightly between remaining in the United Kingdom with her father, and going abroad to continue her studies, but in the end, Severus Snape had ultimately been the push she needed to leave her home. She stared out the window at the large willow tree in the center of the quad. The tree was a constant reminder of the first time she had ever seen her former Professor as a man instead of a teacher.

Closing her eyes, she allowed herself to think back. Three years had passed since that day. She had been sitting by the lake with Ginny, enjoying the beautiful spring afternoon. Snape had appeared out of nowhere and sat away from them beneath a willow tree and she had watched him as he fell asleep against the trunk. As the sun had set, Ginny had left, and she had veered off towards her professor to wake him so that he would not be left outdoors at nightfall.

His face had been so peaceful – all of the lines of worry had disappeared and he had looked so young. His dark hair had been so clean and silky, a few strands lying across his face – a stark contrast to his pale skin. She had stood there mesmerized by Severus Snape, the man. But everything had to come to an end, and she had woken him, touching his shoulder and making a memory of the feeling of his sturdy wool robes. She had spent her last month at Hogwarts observing him, studying him. He was a curiosity to her, and she knew that he had been observing her too.

In the few moments when he had let his guard down, Luna would catch him as he stared at her through the curtains of his raven hair.

‘Luna?’ a voice called out.

She blinked, startled from her thoughts. Looking around, she spotted a dark-haired young man she had made friends with at Berkeley College of Magic. Phillip was a friendly sort, but a little too eager. She had gotten the sense that he wanted more than friendship with her for quite some time, but she had no such feelings for him. She rather thought that she had managed to leave her heart behind at Hogwarts.

‘Phillip,’ she greeted with a bright smile.

‘You look lovely today,’ he said, pulling up a chair from the next carrel to sit before her.

‘Thank you,’ she replied.

‘How goes your study?’ he asked.

‘I’m not studying right now,’ she answered. ‘I have been reading for fun today. There was an article in my father’s paper about a new class of Erumpent found in South Africa, a tri-horned beast with a second tail. I am reading up on the Erumpent so that I can go to visit the place where it was sighted and spend some time studying the creatures. I hope to see the new species when I am there!’

‘That sounds interesting,’ he said, smiling encouragingly.

Luna smiled back, knowing that he was just being polite. Even at Berkeley many of the students believed that she was odd. Phillip just happened to be one of the few who were polite about it. But regardless of what the other students thought, she still believed there were many magical creatures that existed without human knowledge. And that was why she studied them – so that she could try to understand them and discover new species and beasts. It was her passion and ambition after all. She was definitely her father’s daughter.

‘So is that what you will do when you finish school here in a few weeks?’ he asked.

Luna nodded excitedly. ‘I leave for there in a month,’ she replied. ‘What will you do?’

‘Well, I am a Potions student,’ he explained. ‘I will start an apprenticeship at the beginning of the next school term and need to study under a Master for two years before I will be fully qualified.’

‘You have found an apprenticeship?’

He nodded. ‘I will be studying under Master Thaddeus Quigley, in London actually,’ he answered. ‘Will you be returning to England after your expedition?’

Luna nodded. ‘I have friends and family to visit. I’ll be away for a few months, but after that I will begin working for Gringott’s as a part of their research team on magical creatures. They do exactly what I am interested in. Goblins love knowledge for it is power. And if there is anything they love more than treasure, it is power.’

Phillip chucked at her comment. ‘That they do,’ he agreed.

‘Don’t you have classes to attend today?’ she asked.

He looked at the wristwatch he wore and shook his head, smiling. ‘Alas, you are right. I have one starting in a few minutes,’ he answered. ‘I’d better get going.’

‘See you later,’ Luna told him.

‘Bye, Luna,’ he said, returning the chair to the other carrel and dashing out of the library.

She watched as he left, turning her attention back to the window and the tree outside. Closing her eyes, she took a moment to allow herself to be a little homesick, imagining herself at Hogwarts once more.

\--

The wind whispered through the window of her dorm room, sending a few loose leaves across her quilt.

Luna picked a green leaf from the coverlet and held it up in the light. That day marked her last day of classes at Berkeley. In just over a week, she would graduate and leave California for South Africa and embark on her next journey. Her father would be arriving from London in a few days to spend some time with her before she went on her trip. She placed the leaf back onto her bed and hauled herself into a sitting position. She would miss Berkeley and the friends she had made, but she reminded herself that no matter where she went, magic meant that it wasn’t so hard to reach anyone that she wanted to see. Besides, she would always be able to make more friends and gain new experiences.

She pulled on her squash-coloured robes over the paisley dress she was wearing before leaving her room with her wand holding her hair out of her face, and her satchel slung over one slender shoulder. She passed a few of her dorm mates on her way out of the dormitory. She had one final exam to attend in two days’ time, and then she would pack and plan. Planning was not one of her strongest suits, so she would need to enlist the help of one of the other girls to decide what she would need to take with her, and what to send back home with her father.

Making her way to the quad, she sat beneath the willow, leaning against the trunk and closing her eyes. She didn’t know how long she had been asleep for, but when she woke, through her blurred vision she saw dark hair and fair skin. Her foolish brain immediately thought of Snape, but when she blinked once more, she saw that it was just Phillip. His hand was on her shoulder and he had a look of concern on his face. She sat up properly, dislodging his hand as she did so.

‘I’m sorry I woke you up,’ he said with a sheepish grin.

She sighed in disappointment. She really had wanted it to be Snape. ‘I needed to wake up anyway,’ she replied.

‘I was just on my way to a lecture,’ he explained. ‘It’s a special guest lecturer today. “

‘Don’t you know who the lecturer is?’ she asked, looking up at him.

‘We haven’t been told,’ he replied. ‘All I know is that he is a guest lecturer on a circuit that has been going through colleges in the States. I think this is his last stop.’

‘Oh, well that’s lovely,’ she said. ‘Are you going to the lecture now?’

‘Yes, would you like to come along?’

She looked up at Phillip who was standing up to leave and made her decision quickly. She stood, pulling her bag onto her shoulder. She really didn’t have anything to do before her lecture, and at that point, any further study she did would have been in vain. If the knowledge was not already there, she would not know the answers.

‘Lead the way,’ she said, gesturing forward.

They walked across the quad, following him around to the oldest building; the potions lectures were always held there. The two of them sat up in the back, where she was least likely to be noticed. She didn’t want to cause any disruptions with her presence. The buzz of chatter in the room suddenly came to a halt and everyone turned their heads to look at the doorway to see who their guest lecturer would be. Luna turned her head too, and immediately felt her eyes widen in shock. In the doorway stood the tall, dark, imposing form of Severus Snape.

He scarcely looked a day older. His expression was stony and unreadable, but his dark eyes were filled with vague displeasure. He walked down to the front of the room with their usual professor in tow and turned to face them, his arms crossed over his chest, back ramrod straight. Luna could not take her eyes off him. She had not seen him in almost three years, and there he stood, the same as ever. Her breath caught in her throat as she watched his eyes travel around the room, taking in the faces of the students before him.

Their eyes met, and she saw for a moment, the shock in his eyes surely matched her own when he recognized her. She blinked, offering him a shy, uneasy smile.

He tore his eyes from her, beginning to address the students then, his deep, smooth voice flowing over all of them, wrapping her up in dark velvet. She barely heard a word he said the entire hour that he spoke. There was a brief period of question and answer time at the end, before the professor dismissed the class, and the students began to disperse. She was startled from her daze by Phillip who began to pack his notebook into his bag to leave. She stood from her chair, pausing to try and catch one last glance of Snape before she left. But he wasn’t there.

Confused, she walked out of the classroom with Phillip following closely on her heels. She had her own class to go to then, so after bidding her friend goodbye she hurried off, her eyes still looking around to see if Snape was still around. She felt strangely disappointed as she sat through her class, going through the motions, not really paying attention. When the class ended, she somehow managed to end up in the quad again, under the willow tree once more. There, she could sit and ponder Snape’s sudden reappearance in her world.

Taking a breath, she wrapped her arms around her knees, pulling them to her chest and staring down at the grass. A short while later, a pair of black dragon hide boots appeared in her field of vision. Allowing her eyes to travel upwards, she saw black trousers, robes and finally, the face of Severus Snape.

‘Professor!’ she exclaimed in surprise.

To her surprise, he lowered himself down to sit on the grass beside her. ‘Miss Lovegood,’ he said, his dark eyes completely indecipherable.

‘What brings you to Berkeley, Professor?’ she asked.

‘As you know, I was a guest lecturer here today,’ he replied. ‘In answer to the next question you will undoubtedly ask, I do still teach at Hogwarts, however, I finished teaching earlier this year and Professor Slughorn returned to oversee the exams as a favour to myself and the Headmistress.’

‘You are tired,’ Luna observed.

His lips thinned at her comment. She didn’t care if he didn’t like what she said. It was the truth. She did wonder why he had sat on the ground with her. Snape did not seem like the kind of man who would simply sit on the grass with a former student. She stared at his hands that were resting on either side of him. His skin was as pale as ever, and his long fingers slightly calloused from years of potion making.

‘You look well,’ he said quietly. ‘I vaguely recall that Minerva said you were studying here. She said you were doing well. Have you enjoyed your studies?’

Luna nodded. ‘I have, very much,’ she answered. ‘I love this place, although I have been homesick on occasion. I will return to London eventually though, after my trip to South Africa.’

‘What will you be doing there?’

‘I am going on a research trip,’ she explained. ‘To seek out a new class of Erumpent that has been sighted there.’

Snape let out a bark of laughter, surprising them both. ‘I am sure it will be an enriching experience for you,’ he said, strands of dark hair falling into his eyes as he shook his head.

Without thinking, she reached out and pushed his hair out of his face, tucking it behind his ear. She barely heard it, but he inhaled sharply when her fingers brushed his ear. She gently traced the shell, lingering before she went to move her hand away. His hair was so silky that she wanted to delay further. Snape’s hand went immediately up to hers, grasping her small hand in his larger one, his roughened skin chafing against her. She expected him to let it go, but he held it for a moment before finally releasing it.

Luna looked up into his eyes, wondering what was going through his mind. People always assumed that she was a calm, happy-go-lucky girl all of the time. At that moment, her stomach was doing back flips and she felt like she was going mad. This entire day had been completely unbelievable.

‘Luna,’ Snape said quietly.

‘You’ve only said my name twice now,’ she whispered.

‘You’ve never said mine,’ he pointed out.

‘I didn’t think you would want that…’ she stammered.

‘I want it,’ he said, staring into her eyes.

‘Severus,’ she said, reaching a small hand out to touch his.

‘Luna,’ he breathed, closing his eyes when their hands met. ‘Three years ago, when I said those things to you…’

‘You were trying to do the right thing. I was too young then,’ Luna said calmly. ‘I had plans to study abroad, travel to do, people to meet.’

‘Yes.’

‘I’ve done that now,’ she continued. ‘You wouldn’t be holding me back any more…’

‘Luna, three years may have gone by, but that does not change who I am. I am not the sort of man you need to be involved with. I have a dark past, I’m not kind or pleasant or handsome. You deserve to find a better match.’

‘I left my heart at Hogwarts with you,’ she said simply, in a tone that brooked no argument. ‘I have tried to move on, but every time I think I might be able to, I see your face under the willow tree that day.’

‘You cannot be in love with me,’ he said.

‘I may not be in love with you yet, but I think of you often and if you’d let me in, I think I could easily come to love you.’

‘And then what?’ Severus asked. ‘You would sacrifice your dreams to be with one such as I? I will not have it.’

‘I don’t have to choose between you,’ she said. ‘I can have both. You would never stop me from travelling and learning, would you?’

‘I would not,’ he replied.

‘Do you still have feelings for me, Severus Snape?’ she asked seriously, reaching a hand up to cup his cheek.

‘Merlin save me from stubborn witches,’ he muttered. ‘Of course I still have feelings for you. I have been in a state of complete nervousness for a week until I saw your face today. I wasn’t anticipating you showing up in that lecture hall.’

‘Then why do you fight it? It is not inappropriate now. We are free to do as we wish,’ she said simply. ‘Do you fear that I will grow weary of you and leave you someday? Is your reluctance due to your insecurities?’

‘You are very peculiar, Luna Lovegood. I fear you have driven me mad.’

‘You are just as sane as I am.’

Severus chuckled at her comment. ‘Then I fear we are both mad.’

Luna dropped her hand from his face, taking one of his hands between both of hers. ‘I will graduate this place in ten days’ time,’ she said quietly. ‘You should go now and think about what we have discussed today. If you change your mind and would like to involve yourself with an eccentric girl like me, please come to my graduation ceremony.’

Severus nodded. ‘I suppose that is a reasonable request.’

‘Until then… Severus.’

And with that she released his hands, leaned in towards him, and without a care in the world, pressed a light kiss to his stunned lips. Severus left Berkeley soon afterwards, still in shock over the kiss she had bequeathed him. She was rather surprised by her own boldness, but if she was going to get what she wanted, she would have to be direct. And if there was one thing she was good at, it was being as honest and direct a person as possible. She returned to her dorms that day with a spring in her step, humming and smiling at everyone.

It didn’t matter that they thought she was strange. She’d had a surprising and fruitful afternoon indeed.

\--

Smoothing down the front of her robes, Luna stared at the mirror, taking in her own appearance. She had taken special care with the way she looked that day. Not normally one for primping, that afternoon she had charmed her long blonde tresses into an elegant braid with a thin gold ribbon weaved through. Her father had bought her a brand new set of dress robes in cream with gold embroidery and trim just for the occasion. She wore very little make-up, as she felt it was too much of a tool that was used to disguise oneself. That day she wanted very much to be herself, for Luna Lovegood was the one who Severus Snape would be coming for – if he decided to come at all.

For a week she had been internally agonizing over whether she had been too forward with Severus. But she reasoned with herself that if she had stood by, saying nothing and doing nothing, she doubted he would have chanced anything with her because of his insecurities over their age and station difference. Luna cared very little that the man was technically old enough to be her father. Severus was a strong, loyal and kind man beneath the frosty, hard exterior he projected. Despite her reputation for being eccentric, he had always treated her as though nothing was out of the ordinary. Even with all of her root vegetable jewelry.

And for Luna, it was completely normal. Her parents had always encouraged her to be an advocate for healthy living and to care for the environment. She was an imaginative, curious and honest person – she just happened to always say exactly what was on her mind, no matter whether it was inappropriate or something that people simply didn’t want to hear.

Luna tucked a stray strand of wavy hair out of her eyes and behind her ear, sighing softly and turning away to pick up her wand from her desk. She paused to check the time and saw that there was only thirty minutes left until the graduation ceremony was to begin. Her father was most likely already waiting for her at the college auditorium where the ceremony was to be held. She left her dorm room, walking through the empty common room and out of the building.

She followed the stone path, passing the quad and the willow tree, to the other side of the school grounds where the auditorium was. Immediately seeking out her father, she found him by the refreshments table, staring into the sparkling pumpkin juice in the glass goblet he held.

‘Daddy,’ she said, touching his elbow to get his attention. ‘How did you sleep?’

‘Very well,’ he said cheerfully. ‘The climate here agrees with my arthritis much better than at home. I don’t know why I’d never come to visit sooner.’

‘You could have a holiday here even after I leave for South Africa if you wanted,’ she said with a smile. ‘Your skin is looking much healthier already. It must be from the sun and the minerals in the water.’

‘I’ll think on it,’ Xenophilius said seriously, taking a sip of his juice. ‘I am very proud of you, Luna.’

She felt warmth spread within her. ‘Thanks, daddy,’ she said, smiling shyly.

‘I have a gift for you,’ he said, producing a small black box from his robes.

Luna took it from his hand; untying the ribbon and opening it to find a thin gold chain with the very same symbol her father wore on the chain around his own neck. She knew it was the symbol for the Deathly Hallows – from the children’s story he had told her when she was young. It had been significant – something that was not so well known only a few years before but had played a large part in the war with Voldemort and his Death Eaters. She wondered why he would present this necklace to her, when it was something that had many negative emotions attached to it.

‘Daddy, why have you given me this?’ she asked.

‘This necklace belonged to your mother,’ he answered. ‘We had met at Hogwarts and went to college together afterwards. The day we graduated, your mother gave me the necklace I always wear as a graduation gift. She knew that the story was true – that the Hallows existed. It was she who convinced me that our favourite story was no fable. I know that she would want you to have this today.’

Luna felt sadness and happiness battling within her as he spoke. She missed her mother terribly at times – often wishing that she had been around to advise her as she was growing up. But the necklace was beautiful and simple – and it had belonged to her mother. She would be able to carry something of hers around with her forever now. She took the necklace out of the box and handed it to her father, turning around and pulling her hair out of the way so that he might secure it.

‘Thank you,’ she told him. ‘I will be glad to wear this.’

‘You look so like your mother,’ Xenophilius said, a hint of sadness in his voice. ‘We are both so proud of you my little love.’

Luna nodded, swallowing back the tears that were threatening. She wasn’t much one for shedding tears, but if there was ever a time for them, it was now.

‘I – I had best go and join the other students now,’ she said, gesturing at the large group of students on the other side of the theater, hastily trying to regain her composure.

He nodded and they parted ways. As she made her way over, Luna’s eyes darted around the auditorium, looking for Severus amidst the other guests. She felt a sting of disappointment when she was unable to see him anywhere. Perhaps she had been too hopeful after all. The happiness she had felt only moments before turned to a nagging feeling in the pit of her stomach. It was something akin to nervousness, although not quite. She looked around the room once more, just to be certain that he wasn’t there just as Phillip came bounding up to her with a big grin plastered on his face.

‘So, this is the big day, hey?’ he exclaimed.

‘Yes, but I will miss the school,’ she replied. ‘And seeing you.’

‘I will too,’ he said seriously. ‘I’m really going to miss you as well, Luna.’

‘Oh,’ she said, sensing that he meant it in a way she did not. ‘Thank you.’

‘I was hoping we could still see one another after you return to London from your trip,’ he pressed on. ‘I’d like for us to stay in contact with one another.’

‘I’d like for us to remain friends also,’ she replied, knowing that the next words out of her mouth could possibly hurt or embarrass him. ‘I really value your friendship.’

‘Oh,’ he said softly, his smile dropping away a little.

It seemed he understood her now. The look of disappointment made her feel bad for her honesty, but she knew it had been the right thing to do. Before she had a chance to say another word, one of the professors arrived and asked them all to take their seats. Phillip was seated quite a distance from her with the rest of the students in his field of study, which flooded her with relief. It was a shame that she didn’t return the feelings of her kind and handsome friend. 

The ceremony began shortly after everyone was seated, commencing with the Dean of the college giving a much too long-winded speech in Luna’s opinion. She would have fallen asleep if it hadn’t been for the fact that her stomach was already completely in knots. Eventually, after a few more of the professors gave speeches, as well as the Valedictorian, the presentation of the diplomas began.

The diplomas were presented alphabetically and in their relative fields of study, starting with Arithmancy. They eventually arrived at Study of Magical Creatures and Beings, and Luna along with the rest of her classmates, were ushered towards the platform where they were called up one at a time. As she was waiting, Luna chanced one more glance around the theater.

She saw her father beaming up at her from his seat at the front of the guest seating area. She saw Phillip, their eyes meeting for a brief moment before he turned away in embarrassment. She could feel her disappointment growing inside as she continued to look for Severus amidst the guests. She was getting ready to give up entirely when she spotted a figure wearing black at the back of the auditorium. She smiled as Severus’ eyes met with hers. He nodded his head ever so slightly in acknowledgement, which caused all of the knots in her stomach to turn to butterflies taking flight.

She beamed at him, returning her focus to the queue that was moving forward ahead of her.

‘Luna Lovegood,’ the Dean said clearly when it was her turn. ‘Miss Lovegood today shall graduate at the top of her class with highest honors.’

There was a round of applause as she accepted her diploma, shaking hands with the Dean and her professors. After, she resumed her seat, accepting handshakes and felicitations from her peers seated nearest to her. The rest of the ceremony flew by then, and as soon as she was able, Luna looked around the room to see if Severus was still standing up the back. She couldn’t find him, so instead sought out her father, who would undoubtedly want to see her.

He was not inside as she thought he would be, and when she did eventually see him outside in the quad, she was surprised to see him standing and talking at Severus. She caught his eyes, in which there was a desperate plea for her to rescue him from her father’s prattle. She chuckled to herself, walking over to join the two men beneath the willow tree.

‘Professor Snape, how lovely to see you,’ she said with a smile.

His lip quirked up in a half smile when she addressed him as such. She could tell he appreciated her discretion. She knew he would feel uncomfortable if she said anything to suggest they were anything but acquaintances in front of her father. One day, she would tell him though. One day, when she could convince Severus that he was not too old or broken for her. 

‘Miss Lovegood, congratulations,’ he said, holding his hand out to her.

She smiled, accepting his handshake. He held onto her for a little longer than he would any other, brushing his thumb lightly over hers knuckles before releasing it.

‘What brings you to Berkeley, Professor Snape?’ Xenophilius asked.

‘I lectured here recently and was invited to attend the ceremony,’ Severus answered.

‘Oh, how lovely,’ he replied. ‘I was glad to see a familiar face here. Not one of the other parents knew anything about the benefits of a healthy amount of dirigible plums in one’s diet.’

‘I am not sure-‘ Severus began, but Luna cut him off quickly.

‘What the professor means to say is that he agrees,’ Luna said with a smile. ‘He, of course, knows that without dirigible plums we would not be able to accept the extraordinary.’

Severus coughed then to cover his bark of laughter. Luna knew he thought the idea absurd. She did not believe that the plums were at all relevant. She believed that accepting the extraordinary was something you either did or didn’t do. She chose to accept that there were many extraordinary things in the world – one of which was the idea that Severus Snape actually had romantic feelings for her.

‘Daddy, why don’t you go and find something to eat,’ Luna told her father. ‘You’re looking a bit peaky.’

Xenophilius smiled, leaning down to press a kiss to her forehead. ‘You’re too good to me, Luna,’ he said. ‘I am very hungry actually. I wonder if they have pudding.’

Luna and Severus stood side-by-side, watching as her father walked away with the quirky skip that was always in his step. As soon as they were finally alone, Luna turned back to look up at the face of the man before her. He was looking down on her with something that resembled awe.

‘You are… spectacular,’ he said so quietly, she barely heard him.

Her cheeks flushed with heat. ‘I am not special, Severus – no matter what you might think,’ she replied.

He grasped her chin then, gently forcing her to look up at his face. ‘Neither of us may be special in the grand scheme of things,’ he said. ‘But right here, at this very moment, you are the most beautiful woman I have ever been fortunate enough to clap eyes on.’

Luna smiled then, pushing past his hand and leaning up as far as she could; tugging the front of his robes so that she could reach him. He succumbed to her, meeting her lips with his own in a tender kiss. When she pulled back she saw the answer to the question that had been on her mind since her last day at Hogwarts. Yes - Severus Snape was the man who would understand and support her in all things. He was the man she could very much see herself falling in love with.

As they stood together, hand-in-hand under the willow tree, Luna knew that this was the beginning of something good.

\--

To be continued.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Big love to my wonderful beta [ Aurora_Borealis3406](/users/Aurora_Borealis3406/) for fixing all of my little mistakes so that you don't have to read them! x


	3. Oxford

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author.

\--

The windows were wet with the rain that was pummeling down outside, streaking the glass as it cleansed the earth.

Snape put down the book he had been attempting to read, staring out on the grey street beyond the glass. When he had decided to buy a house in Oxford, he hadn’t thought about how utterly surrounded by students he would be. Everywhere he went, there were generally people between the ages of eighteen and twenty-five. The Muggles, interestingly, were not the problem. It was mostly the magical students in the area who gave him headaches.

Scholars and professors at the Oxford College of Magic generally frequented the café he had chosen that day. He had arrived early at the place he had arranged to meet with Luna. She’d been away in South Africa for two months on her expedition, and that day was the first time he would see her since she had returned home after spending three years abroad. During her time on her research tour, they had corresponded every few days, but it had not been enough for him. Logically, Snape knew that two months was nothing compared to the three years he had gone without seeing her. He had heard constant updates from Minerva during this time, and she had been determined to convince him to go after Luna for years. But all of this did not prevent him from missing her and yearning for her presence – especially when she was finally attainable – within his reach. 

He had been planning to travel to London to collect Luna from the Ministry himself, despite his desire to keep things about the two of them quiet until he was certain a relationship between them would work. However, she had suggested they meet in Oxford town, where she could visit him in a less busy, but still public atmosphere. Somehow the woman seemed to always have a solution to all of his problems and was accommodating as far as all of his insecurities went.

The summer vacation was coming quickly to an end, and with the start of a new school year looming, Snape was unsure what to expect, and what would happen between himself and Luna when they both returned to work. He would be at Hogwarts and she would most likely be in London. Would they meet up on weekends when they could both get away for a little while? Would they spend holidays and vacation time together? And when she travelled for work, which would most likely be often, would it be appropriate for him to visit her? All of his questions would likely be answered along the way, however, he mused that he should probably discuss them with Luna.

‘Severus.’

The voice came from beside him. The one voice he had been waiting to hear for two months finally whispered to him, beckoning him to look up at her.

He turned his head slightly, looking up at the little sunlight there was, her hair still shone like spun gold, cascading down her back like a river of wavy silk. Her silver-blue eyes were bright and cheerful with excitement – dare he hope that her happiness had something to do with seeing him again?

Snape hauled himself out of the comfortable armchair he had been sitting in, but before he had a chance to say anything, he had his arms full of a beautiful witch. Luna silenced his lips with a kiss, her hands pressed against his cheeks. His brain frantically tried to remind him that they were in a public place, but another part of him, a bigger part, wanted her soft warm lips to stay pressed against his forever. Before the kiss became too intense however, Luna pulled back and released her hold of him.

‘I missed you,’ she said matter-of-factly.

He released her from his grip, setting her down, not realizing he had lifted her off the ground when they had embraced.

‘Luna,’ he said quietly. ‘Come. Have a seat please.’

She allowed him to usher her into the armchair adjacent to the one he had been sitting in. He waved over one of the employees, ordering tea for both of them. The young man returned a moment later with a pot of tea, two cups and a jug of milk. As he was placing their order down, Snape noticed the boy eyeing off Luna, who sat staring dreamily out the window watching the rainfall. Jealousy welled up within him momentarily before he reminded himself that Luna was there to see him. Regardless, Snape glared at the young man until he scuttled away hurriedly.

‘So,’ Snape said, breaking the silence and snapping her focus back to him. ‘So, tell me about your expedition. Was it a great success?’

Luna nodded eagerly. ‘When last I wrote to you, I had only seen the acknowledged genus of the species. But two days ago, as we were preparing to leave, I was out on an early evening stroll, and I met the beast I was there to find. It was wonderful!’

‘Am I to assume you had time to document and draw a likeness of the creature?’ he asked.

She nodded, eyes shining. ‘Some of the other researchers came to see it as well. All of us made our own notes,’ she answered. ‘It will be documented as a genus of Erumpent with a tri-horn and double tail.’

‘And will you be acknowledged for the discovery in official documents?’ he asked.

Luna flushed and nodded. ‘I know I wasn’t the first to see it, but I was first on site to document it,’ she said. ‘Gringotts contacted me again and my first assignment will be to do a full study on the beast. I’ll be going back to Carnarvon in just under four weeks.’

‘So soon?’ he said, shocked at the suddenness of it all.

Snape was thrilled for her, of course. She was so fortunate to have found the beast on her first trip to Carnarvon. For someone in her field of study, it was a small miracle to be able to live to see a discovery. But he would miss her – especially if she was gone for a long period of time. It had already been three years of waiting, albeit reluctantly, and he was not looking forward to waiting again. Especially not now that she had practically forced him to acknowledge his feelings for her.

‘The goblins were very pleased to hear about my discovery,’ she answered. ‘I suppose they want to ensure that the discovery and research isn’t stolen from them by some other organization.’

Snape nodded in agreement. ‘I can see how that might affect your departure,’ he said solemnly.

Luna touched his hand gently then, forcing him to look up at her once more.

‘You know, I won’t be away forever,’ she said. ‘And I would be more than happy to receive visitors there.’

He offered her a small, lopsided smile in response. ‘I should be able to accommodate that.’

‘And, if I am going to be away for quite a few months, there is a chance I will return home for a visit also,’ she continued.

‘I am certain you will have many people offering you their hospitality when you return to visit,’ he replied.

Luna tilted her head to the side a little, squinting and observing him through her lashes. ‘You know, there will be plenty of time over the next few weeks for us to talk more about my next trip,’ she said. ‘Let’s just spend this time getting to know one another better first. The rest will happen, and we will both be ready for it when it does.’

Snape frowned slightly, his brow furrowing as he did. ‘How did you come to be so wise for someone so young?’

She smiled almost serenely and shrugged. ‘I try not to get too tied up with details. If I worried about everything all of the time, I might not get any enjoyment out of life at all.’

He nodded, swallowing thickly. He wanted to ask her to stay with him while she was in town. His house was large, and he could have a guest room made up for her in no time at all. But as usual, plagued by fear of rejection, he played the part of his own agony aunt, worrying that she might refuse his offer.

‘Have you made arrangements for the next few weeks here?’ he asked, trying to be subtle.

Luna frowned momentarily then but shook her head and chuckled softly. ‘I might spend a few days with my father,’ she answered. ‘You know, if you wanted me to stay with you, all you have to do is ask?’

‘You certainly don’t have a problem with speaking your mind, do you?’ he said, chuckling darkly. ‘You are entirely too much, my dear.’

‘So?’ she asked, looking across at him expectantly.

He couldn’t help but smile at her straightforwardness. ‘Luna, if you are amenable, I would like to offer you a place to stay before you leave for your trip.’

Luna grinned. ‘I accept your offer, Severus,’ she answered.

A short while later, they paid and left the café together, Snape leading her to the nearest apparition point. They had decided it was best if she went to spend time with her father for a few days first and visit all of her old school friends before returning to stay with him. She leaned up to kiss him before she left; a kiss that left both of them rather breathless. After she Disapparated, Snape walked half in a daze back to his house, his lips still warm from her kiss.

Even if she were to leave again soon, Snape had a feeling all of his worries were for naught. Closing his eyes, and smiling to himself, he Apparated the rest of the way home to begin preparing for her stay.

\--

The grandfather clock in the front hall chimed loudly, filling the house with the noise and alerting the occupants to the time. Snape looked up from the book he had been half-heartedly reading. Luna would be arriving shortly after visiting with her father and friends for the past week. He had been anticipating her arrival with near giddy excitement – an emotion that he was not used to experiencing. Getting up from the armchair, Snape walked around the room tidying the books he had left scattered on many of the flat surfaces in the room. The sound of the doorbell downstairs a moment later echoed up the stairs and into the library, alerting him to his visitor’s arrival.

Walking briskly down to the front door, he took a moment to suck in a deep breath before opening it. Luna stood on his front porch wearing Muggle jeans, a white shirt and a cardigan. Her wand was tucked in her hair, holding it together at the nape of her neck. It was rather cool and drizzly for a late summer day, so he wasn’t really surprised by her choice of attire. As autumn drew nearer, the rain became more frequent and colder. The trees were even beginning to shed their leaves, and flowers withered and fell dormant.

Luna cleared her throat softly then, her silvery eyes bright with excitement. ‘Are you going to invite me in?’ she asked innocently, clasping her hands behind her back as she gazed up at him.

Snape stepped aside and held his hand out to her. She placed her small, delicate hand in his, allowing him to lead the way inside. After closing the door, he led her through the house, never relinquishing his grip on her hand, as though he were afraid she might disappear if he did. He showed her the sitting room, dining room and kitchen downstairs, before leading her upstairs to the study and library.

‘You room is down the hall and to the left,’ he explained, pointing in the general direction. ‘On the other side of the hall is the second spare room, and beside it is the bathroom.’

‘And which one is your room?’ she asked, eyes wide and innocent-seeming.

Snape swallowed nervously. ‘My room is here,’ he replied, gesturing at the door opposite them, across from the study. ‘I hope these arrangements are to your liking?’

She nodded. ‘I am very pleased,’ she answered. ‘Can I see your room?’

He blinked at her, confused. She wanted to see his room? Wordlessly, he crossed the hall, turning the brass knob and pushing the door open. Stepping back, he indicated for her to walk in first. She grasped his hand before entering the room, dragging him along behind her. Snape wasn’t sure what was happening, but he reminded himself that this was not the time to be getting overexcited. She likely meant nothing by it.

He watched from the doorway as she wandered around the room, drifting from place to place, running her fingers gently over the armchair in the corner and the maple dresser. She poked her head into the bathroom, gazing at the grey marble within. When she was finished exploring the room, Luna sat down on his large bed, rubbing her hand over the dark blue fabric of the comforter.

‘This house is beautiful,’ she said. ‘It seems old, and yet so modern.’

‘I had the kitchen and bathrooms renovated the Muggle way when I bought this place four years ago,’ he said, leaning against the doorframe. ‘I sold the house I grew up in on Spinner’s End after the war to buy this place.’

‘Why did you sell your childhood home?’ she asked.

‘Even now, just thinking of the place brings up bad memories from my past, and I do not want to be confronted by my past. I felt it was time for me to move on and turn away from that past life,’ he answered.

Luna patted the bed beside her, inviting him to sit down. ‘Please come and sit with me,’ she said when he didn’t move.

He moved across the room in three long strides, carefully lowering himself onto the bed beside her. She coaxed him into lacing their fingers together. Snape felt so out of his depth – he had no experience with relationships and romance. And Luna, she was so bold and unafraid. She cared not for social convention and always spoke her mind. She made him feel completely unnerved at times. And at that moment, he had no idea what she expected of him.

‘Severus,’ she said, rubbing a thumb over the back of his hand.

‘Yes?’

‘You can take a deep breath,’ she told him. ‘I’m not attempting to seduce you.’

‘Oh,’ he said, letting out a shaky breath. ‘I am not experienced with relationships.’

‘You needn’t be so nervous around me,’ she said, turning a little to face him better. ‘I don’t bite. I am not experienced with relationships at all either.’

Snape blinked at her. Was she a virgin? He had not factored this piece of information into the mix when she had pushed him to accept her. She was young, vibrant and attractive – surely, she would have received some offers while away at college? Surely some dashing young wizard would have tried to sweep her off her beautiful feet.

‘Luna, I apologize,’ he said quietly. ‘I do not mean to pry or make you uncomfortable. I am a solitary man. I’m not used to having anyone in my space for prolonged periods of time. This is perhaps the longest anyone has been in my house to date.’

‘Are you certain it’s okay that I stay here?’ she asked.

‘Oh, dear girl, do not think that you are not welcome here. On the contrary, I have been looking forward to your visit,’ he said, releasing her hand and grasping her chin gently. ‘I want to spend this time with you now, before you go away for so long.’

Luna smiled, pushing away his hand and kissing him full on the mouth. Snape allowed himself to run his fingers through her hair, plucking her wand out and dropping it on the bed beside them. He reveled in the silkiness, gently caressing the golden tresses as she continued to kiss him. For someone so small, she certainly didn’t just sit back and do nothing. Her hands made their way into his own hair, one hand twirling the fine hairs at the base of his neck. He held in his groan, parting his lips to deepen the kiss. Luna’s soft moan then pleased him, and he pulled her closer, trying to increase their contact.

If anyone had told him that one day, he would be snogging one of his former students on his bed, he would have thought they were barmy.

After a few minutes, they parted, and both took deep breaths to steady themselves. Luna smiled at him, her lips pink and glistening from the attention. Her golden tresses were tousled slightly, and she looked so beautiful as she sat there. He had never been more attracted to anyone in his life as he was to her in that very moment. And while it would have been so easy to push her down onto the bed and ravish her, there would be plenty of time for that in the future.

For the time being, he would simply get to know her better, and let the rest of the chips fall where they may.

\--

Light filtered into the room through a gap in the curtains sending small beams to scatter around the room.

One such beam of light had fallen across Snape’s face, disturbing him from his slumber. Blinking rapidly to clear the blurriness from his eyes, he stretched out his limbs and rolled over to look at the clock on his bedside table. The clock face read seven A.M. He’d been asleep for nearly eight hours, which was unheard of for him. He was notorious for running on very little sleep amongst his colleagues at Hogwarts. Hauling himself into a sitting position, he got up finally and strode to his bathroom.

After he relieved himself, Snape washed his face, drying it with a towel. He stood for a moment, staring at his reflection. For a man in his forties, he supposed he wasn’t looking too bad. There were lines on his face, but his hair had not yet greyed, and his body was lean. Despite this though, he was not an attractive man. His nose was much too hooked and large for him to ever truly be considered a handsome man. He sighed heavily, smoothing his hair back from his face as he walked back into the bedroom, opening the dresser and removing a pair of black trousers, a white shirt and an undershirt.

Sitting down on the edge of the bed, he stared at the clothes. Luna would be leaving the next morning. He had just one last day to spend with her. He wondered what he should plan to do. Would she like to go out? Should he have made dinner reservations somewhere? What kind of date did Luna imagine herself being taken on by the man who was clumsily courting her? Snape did not know how to date a woman and what they expected on said dates. He wondered if perhaps he should ask Minerva for some advice but remembered that the woman would be impossible to talk to if she were to find out about Luna.

He was about to get dressed when he heard some quiet knocking on the door. He walked over to the door, pausing for just one moment before opening it to reveal Luna. She was dressed in an oversized nightshirt, one that hung off her shoulder a little. He stared at her as she blinked up at him sleepily.

‘Good morning,’ he said, breaking the silence.

‘Hello,’ she said softly.

‘Is there something wrong?’ he asked.

‘There was a loose tile in the bathroom,’ she said softly. ‘I healed my foot, but I thought you might like to know.’

Snape took her hand and led her over to his bed, urging her to sit down. He kneeled down on the floor in front of her, grasping her foot and lifting it up to examine it. He ran his thumb over the bottom of her foot, which made her giggle. He looked up at her face, and saw her grin, her eyes sparkling. He released her foot when he was certain that it was truly fine, pressing a kiss to her uncovered knee before pulling back to smirk at her.

‘It appears you are quite accomplished with healing charms,’ he said.

‘I’m quite clumsy,’ she replied with a shrug.

‘You are such a strange little thing, Luna Lovegood.’

‘You’re not wearing a shirt,’ she pointed out.

‘I sleep this way,’ he replied. ‘Too many clothes are stifling. I feel as though I am being strangled in my sleep.’

‘I’ve never seen you this unclothed before,’ she murmured, blushing.

‘I’ve never seen _you_ this unclothed before,’ he replied, brushing a long finger down her slender leg.

Luna’s eyes fluttered closed then, in a way that Snape was somewhat familiar with. He shifted so that he was on his knees, pressing himself between her legs, taking charge for the first time since she had initiated a relationship between them. He pressed a kiss to her lips gently, trying to gauge whether or not this was acceptable to her. When she kissed him back, Snape ran his hands into her hair, deepening their kiss and allowing a small groan to escape his lips, letting her know he was enjoying their activity. As they kissed, Luna began to shuffle backwards further onto the bed, grasping his shoulders and urging him to join her. He pulled back, surprised at her boldness despite her inexperience.

Her hair was tousled, her eyes dilated, and she was breathing heavily from the snogging. But her legs remained slightly parted, and as he climbed onto the bed, she dragged him further into her, and was once more between her legs except this time, she was laying on his bed with a coy smile. The nightshirt she was wearing had slipped further down her shoulder, almost revealing a breast to him. He hadn’t thought about it until that moment, but she was not wearing a bra beneath her sleeping shirt.

He felt a burning low in his stomach and automatically began pressing his hips into her, rubbing himself against her as they resumed their feverish kissing. Luna’s hands were everywhere then; in his hair, running over the skin of his back, grasping his hips as their lower halves rubbed against one another. She pressed her hips up against his to try and further the contact, which made Snape snap out of his lust-filled haze. If he didn’t stop now, he doubted very much he would be able to control himself.

‘Luna, we must stop,’ he said, breathing heavily. ‘I do not think I will be able to if we continue.’

‘I don’t want to stop,’ she told him, grasping one of his hands and pressing it to one of her breasts. ‘Please, Severus…’

He groaned, squeezing her small breast gently before running his thumb over her peaked nipple. Her soft moan was all the fuel he needed to give in to her plea. He swooped in, kissing her hard as he continued to fondle her breasts, tweaking her nipples and kissing down her neck. He sat back for a moment to tug her nightshirt down her shoulder a little further, exposing her. Her milky skin was in stark contrast to her pretty pink nipple, which stood proudly out in arousal.

The next hour was a blur. Snape felt as though he was having something akin to an out of body experience. The one moment that had snapped him out of his lust-induced fog had been when he had robbed Luna of her virginity. She’d been in some pain, but there had been very little blood and she had bounced back relatively quickly, and they were lost in one another again. From there they found their completion almost at the same time. He had worked hard to make sure she would enjoy her first experience, rather unwilling to leave her behind.

They lay entwined on his bed in the aftermath, both a little sweaty – the clothes he had set out completely forgotten in a pile on the floor.

‘That was, indescribable,’ he murmured softly, rolling over to face her. ‘I hope I did not hurt you too much.’

She shook her head. ‘I anticipated it hurting quite a lot more,’ she replied. ‘I am glad that it was less painful than I was led to believe. Thank you.’

Snape gaped at her. ‘It is not you who should be thanking me, but the other way around I think,’ he said, leaning down slightly to brush a gentle kiss on her forehead. ‘Thank you for such a precious gift.’

Luna smiled. ‘Well, I am glad that you thought it was special, but I will be honest with you – I never really considered my virginity to be precious at all,’ she said seriously. ‘I always imagined I might have lost my virginity when I was at college, but I could never really stop thinking about you – even at a subconscious level, I knew I wanted to be with you.’

Snape smiled at her. ‘You really are a curious thing,’ he said, pulling her close so that his arms wrapped around her and his chin rested on her head.

‘I hope you mean that in a good way,’ she replied with a soft laugh.

‘Always, my dear,’ he murmured.

Snape closed his eyes then and drifted off, falling asleep with his arms around her. He wasn’t sure if she slept, but some time later he woke up alone in bed, lying flat on his stomach with his arms and legs spread out all over the bed. He could hear the water running in the bathroom as well as a slightly out of tune humming coming from that general direction. Sitting up, he rubbed his eyes and smoothed his hair out of his face before getting up and striding over to the bathroom to investigate. When he opened the door, steam quickly escaped the room, and he saw Luna with her back to him, softly humming as she waited for the large claw-footed tub to fill with hot water.

Smiling at the sight, he walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her, resting his chin on her shoulder. She was such a slight thing, but she bore him very well. She reached a hand up and buried it in his hair, gently massaging one of his temples.

‘Have you been up long?’ he asked.

She shook her head. ‘I didn’t mean to wake you. I just felt a little sticky, so I thought I would take a bath to clean up and relax myself,’ she answered.

‘Are you very sore?’ he asked.

‘Only a little,’ she answered.

When the tub was adequately full, he released her and stepped away. She turned off the faucets and grabbed her wand from the sink, twisting her hair into a knot and jamming her wand in to secure it. He noticed then that she was wearing small studs that were shaped like cloves of garlic. He wondered why she would wear something like that in her ears but stopped himself from questioning it. Luna’s eccentric jewelry was fairly tame those days.

He watched as she stepped in and gracefully lowered herself into the hot water without even so much as a flinch. For someone notorious for being clumsy, her movements could be rather elegant. When she was immersed to the neck, she turned around to face him, lifting a hand out of the water to beckon him in. His eyebrows shot up, but he joined her anyway, hissing a little at the incredibly hot water. Despite his aversion to baths, it was quite nice to nestle against Luna there, and he reminded himself that they only had one night left together before she would be going away.

‘So, when will you be going back to Hogwarts?’ she asked.

‘I shall return on Friday so that I can spend the weekend preparing for classes to begin next Monday,’ he replied. ‘I have altered the curriculum slightly this year, to include some more modern procedures that I had published in an academic journal.’

‘Oh, that sounds awfully exciting,’ she said, sounding genuinely excited for him.

He chuckled. ‘Only you could say that as seriously as you did just now,’ he murmured, rubbing her shoulders.

‘Severus?’

‘Mmmmm?’

‘Would you mind if I told my father about us?’ she asked. ‘I just don’t want him to be too surprised if someone else finds out and news makes its way to him.’

Snape thought for a moment, but ultimately decided she had a good point. If one of the other newspapers were to find out, there would be a scandal. And the two of them would be left with very little support from friends and family. He wanted her family to be able to be there for her if such a thing were to occur.

‘You may tell your father, and your close friends,’ he agreed. ‘I see no reason to keep everyone in the dark. Where does he think you are at this moment?’

Luna shrugged. ‘He never asked, and I never offered any information,’ she answered. ‘He has always trusted me to know how to take care of myself.’

Snape nodded, leaning in and kissing the top of her head. ‘I will probably tell Minerva and ask her to spread the word amongst the staff so that if you were to visit, none would be surprised.’

‘I will miss you, Severus,’ she said. ‘These past couple of weeks have been so wonderful. I’ve never been so well cared for in my life.’

‘The time will go by like that,’ he said, snapping his fingers. He voiced the words to reassure himself more than anything.

‘I hope so.’

‘When we get out, we can look at our schedules and find times that suit us both for a visit, yes?’ he offered.

Luna nestled against him and hummed in contentment. ‘Sounds perfect.’

And as they sat together, soaking in the hot water of the tub, he silently willed that the time really would go by quickly, so that he could be with Luna again.

\--

To be continued.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope y'all are enjoy this soft Severus - I love him snarky, but I also enjoy him vulnerable too. Hugs to my wonderful beta [ Aurora_Borealis3406](/users/Aurora_Borealis3406/) for her hard work! x


	4. Carnarvon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: This chapter contains some scenes of a sexual nature, and while I don't believe they are necessarily too explicit, I thought I'd go ahead and warn you anyway.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author.

\--

A weed tumbled across the ground, listlessly blown about by the dry wind. It was always hot and dry there, so tumbleweeds ran rampant.

Luna sat with her legs crossed on the ground, her back pressed against the tree behind her as she sketched lazily around her notes. She had been there in Carnarvon taking extensive notes and doing meticulous drawings of her beautiful Erumpents for nearly two months so far, though it was looking as though they would only need to remain for another month before heading back to Gringotts’ head offices in London.

She had to admit, she was rather relieved. Initially she had thought it would take up to six months to document as much as they already had. Luna had been given a small team to assist her with her work, and they had been so helpful. She knew that she was very new to her role at Gringotts, and suspected that some might be a little threatened by her early success, but she would often remind herself that it was not for her to worry about.

She had much more pressing concerns of her own – not the least of which were her growing feelings for Severus Snape. Luna could remember their last day together in his home like it was imprinted on her. He had made love to her several times that day, and she had never felt more beautiful or desired in all her life. Her off-putting personality had all but driven away everyone else – but not him. And he was a thing to behold – an interesting, intelligent and passionate man. And she rather thought that during their short time together, she’d managed to go and fall in love with him – just as she had predicted.

They exchanged letters with one another each week so as to not wear out their owls completely. She wished she could send more. After her first month in Carnarvon, she had planned to spend a weekend at Hogwarts visiting him but had been delayed by her research. She missed him – sometimes to the point where she was utterly distracted.

‘Miss Lovegood!’

She heard the voice and saw a figure walking towards her from a distance. One of her assistants, Karl, was making his way off.

‘Hello, Miss Lovegood,’ he greeted, chipper as ever.

‘Good afternoon,’ she replied with a small smile. ‘It’s only just noon and I am already sweating – I can’t imagine what the weather will be like later this afternoon.’

‘I heard there is a small sandstorm expected this evening, so we’d best get our work done pretty quickly so we can take shelter tonight.’

She nodded. Of course – sandstorms. They had taken them by surprise the first time it had happened while they were there, and they had just barely made it inside and protected in time. This time they were more prepared. Luna had been given the use of a small house for her stay there, while her two assistants shared lodgings. She loved the little brick house – it was small and had lots of character.

‘Where is Blair?’ she asked, wondering where the other young man had gotten off to.

‘He’s in the library trying to borrow some reference texts.’

She nodded. The tiny town had one of the smallest libraries known to man. And because it was a largely Muggle town, they had to be very discreet.

‘Let’s check on the herd and make sure they are somewhere safe, and then I think it might be best if we head back to town,’ Luna suggested.

After her years at Hogwarts, and her experience in the war, she had been forced to become a much more pragmatic person. She was still the same person she had always been – just a little more enterprising out of necessity. There came a time in every person’s life when childish things needed to be put away. She cast a quick Patronus and sent her silvery-blue little rabbit hopping towards the town to stay and work in the library.

She headed off at a brisk pace, with Karl keeping pace beside her. It was a solid ten minutes before they arrived at their destination. Luna was incredibly reluctant to do any Apparition around the beasts or the town – flying under the radar was incredibly important to her. She could see the herd ahead of them, and they looked to be huddled rather close that day. Erumpents were very clued in with their surroundings, and she had a feeling they already knew there was a sandstorm coming and were preparing themselves to huddle together and wait it out as a group.

‘The babies are getting so big,’ she commented idly, more to herself than anything.

‘They are at that,’ Karl said, from behind her.

She gazed fondly at them, walking to the nearest of the creatures slowly. By now they were used to her smell, and no longer feared her approach. Karl hung back though, still wary. She reached out a patient hand and held it out for the female to sniff, and soon the creature was nuzzling her palm and she could feel the leathery texture of the skin. She knew it was a female due to the size of the horns, and the length of the tail, having spent much of her time documenting, measuring and spending her days with them. She loved these creatures – they were gentle giants.

She rubbed her palm up the longer primary horn, feeling the heat emanating from it. She slid her hand back to caress the little ears and then underneath to rub and scratch the chin. The beast huffed and made a sound akin to that of pleasure, and sat down, rolling to the side to allow Luna access to more of its underside in a show of trust.

‘You have a way with these creatures,’ Karl said, sounding impressed.

She smiled and looked back at him. ‘They are sweet – gentle,’ she replied. ‘The easiest way to interact with creatures is to show patience and understanding, be unthreatening, and allow them to show you what they like and their personalities,’ she explained.

‘Where did you learn all of this?’

Luna turned back to the beast she was petting. She recalled the many hours at Hogwarts she had spent with Hagrid tending to the magical creatures he was caring for. She’d had few friends there, but the half-giant had been kind and she had been so enthralled with his gentle ease with creatures of all kinds. It inspired her – and she loved this work.

‘I had a mentor at Hogwarts – a very dear friend of mine,’ she answered with a wistful sigh as she thought back to those times. ‘He loves all magical creatures without any prejudice – even the threatening ones to him are simply misunderstood.’

A short while later, once she was sure the entire herd was accounted for, she and Karl began their trek back to town, following the earthen road. She listened with a smile as he talked about his limited experience with magical creatures – Karl was still studying via correspondence, so his work with her was part of an internship that the college offered through their connection with Gringotts. She wished she’d been afforded the same as a student, but it had all turned out for the better at any rate.

As they approached town they made their way towards the library, which was near their accommodations.

When the building in question was in sight, Luna felt her breath leave her when she spotted a tall, dark-haired figure standing in the street in front of the library building, his back to them. Severus Snape cut an unmistakable figure no matter what he wore, and that day he was standing in Carnarvon wearing long black jeans, and black t-shirt, the sinewy muscles of his arms on display. She realized she had come to a halt, and turned to look at Karl, whose expression was that of confusion.

Sucking in a deep breath, she started walking hurriedly towards Severus, who turned towards them by chance, his eyes widening slightly when he saw her. She grinned and ran towards him the last few meters, dropping her bag on the ground carelessly and launching herself into his arms. He caught her with ease despite not being prepared for such an attack, and her arms wound around his neck as she nuzzled her face close to breathe him in.

‘Hello,’ she mumbled, not caring a whit that her assistant was present.

She heard and felt his chuckle rumble in his chest. ‘Hello to you,’ he murmured quietly, and she felt him drop a kiss to the top of her head.

‘It’s so good to see you,’ she said, pulling back so she could look up at his face. ‘I wasn’t expecting you at all.’

‘I thought I would surprise you,’ he replied with a smirk.

Mindful of their continued audience, she leaned up and pressed her lips to his in a sweet, chaste kiss, not wishing to embarrass him unduly. When she pulled back from his warm lips, she felt flushed with happiness. Deciding that further affection would have to wait until they were in private, she released him and stepped back, turning to face a very shocked Karl.

‘Karl, I’m sure you know, Severus Snape?’ she asked.

‘Of course,’ he stammered, walking towards them and holding out a hand towards her paramour. ‘Nice to see you again, professor.’

Severus quirked an eyebrow at him, but accepted the hand shake anyway. ‘Mr. Ward, how… pleasant to see you again.’

Karl looked decidedly uncomfortable about what he had just witnessed but said nothing. He had been a Hogwarts student in only the year below her, and while she had not really had any interaction with the younger Hufflepuff student then, he had proven himself to be an excellent assistant. Luna decided it was time to break the tension and save both men from the awkwardness they were no doubt experiencing.

‘Karl, why don’t you go find Blair and you can both finish up for the day. Make sure you get everything you need before you head inside for the night – and please do stay safe.’

He nodded and darted away and inside the library, which made Luna snicker a little. Once he was out of sight, she retrieved her bag and turned back to Severus and grasped one of his large, warm hands with her own.

‘I am so happy you are here,’ she told him, gazing into his dark eyes. ‘How long do I have you for?’

He wove their fingers together. ‘I will be here two nights – it was all Minerva could spare me for.’

‘That’s more than I could have hoped for,’ she replied, shuffling in close and swiftly stealing another gentle kiss from him. ‘Come, I will show you to my house.’

He nodded, allowing her to lead the way to the home she had been given for her stay. She rounded the corner and came to a stop in front of the pretty little brick cottage, unlocking the door with an iron key from her pocket. Pushing open the door, she let him precede her inside, and closed the door behind them, placing her bag on the small table in her living room area. It was a small house – the kitchen, living room and table were all one room, and two doors lay at the far end, one to a bedroom and the other to her toilet and shower.

‘It’s not much, but I love it,’ she said, gesturing around the room.

He said nothing, but stepped close to her, his dark eyes like pools of molten ?. She felt a shiver run through her at his regard, and soon they were toe-to-toe and she had to tilt her head back to look up at him. His arms were around her like iron bands, crushing her to him as his mouth swooped in and claimed her own in the most desperate and passionate of kisses she had ever received. His mouth was hard against hers, and when his tongue begged entrance she willingly granted it, allowing him to sweep her away on a journey of renewed desire.

She heard a soft moan and realized it had come from her as his tongue skimmed against hers sensually, the two slippery pink organs sliding against one another in a dance. He growled at the back of his throat as she chased his tongue back into his mouth, and they stood like this, mouths mating frantically before they finally broke apart, breathing raggedly.

‘Bed?’ he asked, and she felt a blush travel across her cheeks as she nodded.

She grasped his hand and led him through the door on the right, pulling her wand from her hair and letting her tresses tumble around her shoulders, using it to light the room a little. She placed the wand on the bedside table and saw him withdraw his own wand from his pocket and place it beside hers.

‘Would you mind awfully if I were to undress you?’ she asked.

He smiled and shook his head, chuckling. ‘Why on earth do you think I would mind that?’

She shrugged and smiled, walking closer to him and grasped the bottom hem of his shirt, pulling it up his body and waiting for him to raise his arms for her to remove it. She tossed it to the side and began to tackle the button of his jeans, popping it open and drawing the zipper of his fly down. He reached for her hands and stopped her, before grasping the bottom of her shirt and pulling it up and off her as well. They finished undressing one another before he embraced her once more, pulling her against him, their smooth flesh sliding against one another.

His kiss was a little less frenzied this time, and she appreciated the way he languidly explored first her mouth, then the crook of her neck, the thrumming pulse point at the juncture of her neck and collarbone, and down to the top of her breast. He picked her up, taking Luna by surprise with the ease at which he bore her. She felt him place her down in the center of the bed before following her down with a wolfish grin plastered on his features.

He worshipped her breasts, lavished her navel, nuzzled and nipped and kissed, before wedging himself between her thighs, and bringing her to bliss with his very talented lips, tongue and teeth. She tried to reciprocate, but he waved her off, sliding back up her body and thrusting within her. They found a rhythm that suited them both, and he fondled her breasts and caressed her little nub of pleasure while she ran her hands over every bit of his flesh that she could, grasping his firm buttocks and driving him to speed up. Soon she shattered around him moaning his name over and over, driving him to completion with a hoarse shout, both of them shivering and panting and sated from their mutual gratification. He rolled off her and to the side, casting cleansing and contraceptive charms with a wave of his hand and a few mumbled words.

Once they caught their breath, Luna rolled onto her side and gazed up at her lover thoughtfully.

‘I’ve really missed you,’ she told him, shuffling close to him and laying her head on his shoulder.

He shifted so that his arm was around her, and one of her hands came to rest on his chest, running through the light dusting of hairs. ‘I have missed you as well,’ he admitted, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. ‘Minerva likely only let me go this weekend because she was sick of me terrorizing the students to distract myself.’

She laughed softly. ‘You haven’t, have you?’

‘My dear, I am not known for my kindness towards my students,’ he reminded her. ‘I am not going to change this late in the game.’

‘I hope you don’t mind spending the night in,’ she said, pressing a kiss to his chest. ‘There is a sandstorm expected tonight. We learned the hard way to be securely indoors for the duration.’

‘I will not complain about having to spend more time alone with you,’ he replied, one of his hands sliding down from her waist to her hip and squeezing lightly.

Luna giggled, swatting his hand. ‘In a little bit,’ she told him, sitting up in the bed. ‘I have so many things to tell you!’

Severus chuckled at her enthusiasm, and she jumped off the bed and dashed out to retrieve her bag with her journal and notes, taking it back to show him. He listened with interest as she talked about everything she had learned so far, and praised all of her illustrations and how thoroughly she had documented it all. Luna watched him fondly as he carefully went through her journal, and she felt warmth well up inside her for him. He was so patient and kind to her – had always been. He did not fault her enthusiasm or the lingering dreaminess of the girl she had once been.

She reached out to tuck his long hair behind his ear as she had before, letting her fingers linger again as she traced the shell of his ear. He looked up from her work, his black eyes intense and unreadable – the only thing to give away how he was feeling was a slight flaring of his nostrils. Luna leaned down and kissed him, and soon her books and illustrations were on the bedside table with their wands as they lost themselves in each other once more.

\--

The sun beat down on the plain as it began to set, casting shadows with the trees and shrubs surrounding them.

Luna looked down at her hand, joined together with the large, pale hand of her lover. He walked at the same pace as she did, and she was thrilled that he was indulging her desire to be touching him at every moment – she had always been a very tactile person, so holding his hand, touching his hair, wrapping her arms around him – all of it soothed and brought her comfort.

‘We’re almost there,’ she told him as they made their way towards the herd. She desperately wanted to share this with him.

‘I am overjoyed,’ he drawled, but she knew he was just being facetious.

They came upon the clearing that she had left the creatures in the day before and was pleased to see that the beasts were just a little further away beyond the line of trees. They had survived the sandstorm, as was to be expected. They were used to the weather conditions there and had developed ways to endure them over time. Before approaching the creatures, she and Severus set up the tent she had shrunk down in her satchel. He waved his wand over it and it set itself up. She loved camping out on the plains with the Erumpents, and having a magical tent was handy.

Although, she had to admit to herself she had never expected Severus would agree to camp with her.

They left their tent and Luna led the way over to the creatures, Severus hovering behind her a few steps so that he didn’t spook them. She looked over her shoulder and saw that his eyes were wide in wonder. She smiled. It was so nice to share this with him, and he was clearly very astounded by it. Nobody would have appreciated this as much as she could tell he did. She beckoned him to stand beside her as they stood a couple of meters back from one of the smaller females.

‘Just hold out your hand, and wait very patiently,’ she told him, demonstrating how she held hers out.

The female made a small mew of sound and huffed at them, breathing loudly as she tried to sniff out the new scent in the air. After a few minutes of breathing and gazing at them, the beast moved forwards towards Severus, and Luna saw his jaw clench a little reflexively. She could tell he was anxious but seemed determined not to move. Luna released the breath she had been holding the moment the female’s frontal horn came into contact with his hand.

‘It’s warm,’ he said quietly.

She grinned, walking closer to him and giving the sweet creature a scratch behind her leathery little ears. ‘They generate quite a lot of heat, which is released intermittently through their horns,’ she explained. ‘Right now, it’s just a trickle, but when they scuffle with one another, it’s much more intense.’

‘This is… this is unlike any experience I have ever had,’ he said, gently moving his hand up and down the horn in a caress.

‘It’s incredible, isn’t it?’

He looked at her then and she saw his dark eyes were burning with intensity. ‘You are incredible,’ he told her heatedly. ‘Thank you for sharing this with me.’

She blushed and leaned towards him to capture his lips in a gentle kiss. ‘Thank you for wanting to be a part of it.’

They spent the next hour until nightfall walking amongst the creatures, examining any of them for injuries. She was surprised at how enthusiastically Severus threw himself into it and felt her heart swell as she watched this tall, dark solitary man experience such joy from patting and scratching these gentle horned giants. They made their way back to the clearing and their tent in silence, and once there, built up a fire with the wood supplies in the tent and twigs and other bits from the surrounding trees.

They fished out a giant water bottle and washed their hands, and Luna dampened some washcloths so they could wipe the dust from their faces.

She watched as Severus prepared their meal, having brought what they needed for stew, and used a campfire stove to cook it. She loved watching his hands as he chopped and sliced ingredients – they were so elegant and purposeful in their movements. While they waited for it to cook, they sat in comfortable silence and watched as the sun was swallowed up by the night sky.

Luna watched the warm glow of the fire flicker and cast a glow on her lover’s face. It softened his sharp features – those strong, lovely cheekbones, his aristocratic nose, those soft, beckoning lips and his dark expressive eyes. Her heart hammered against her ribs, and she swallowed the lump in her throat. He was a dark angel, all snark, and silence and brooding, but kind, compelling and devoted underneath. It was no wonder she had found herself in love with him much sooner than she had thought she would.

She reached over and gently tucked Severus’s hair behind his ear, grazing it in the way she had taken to doing. He looked up at her in surprise but leaned into her touch. He was still a man that was very much starved of touch from another being, and she fully intended to correct that. Shuffling a little closer to him, she rested her head against his shoulder, and he wrapped his arm around her to pull her body flush against his side.

‘I love you, Severus,’ she said quietly, marveling at the sound he made as he sucked in a sharp breath.

‘I love you too,’ he replied, his voice barely above a whisper.

Luna twisted in his hold and threw her arms around his chest, hugging him tightly. He loved her. She felt a sense of calm settle over them, and as they sat embracing under the blackened sky, she knew that this was exactly the right time for them.

\--

The crickets and other insects buzzed, rattled and made their music as the sun beat down on the plain, scorching the grass and causing the mirage ripples of heat across the ground.

Luna pushed some hair out of her face that had come loose from her bun. She was coated in a light layer of sweat, the summer heat beginning to bother her in a way that it previously hadn’t. She was irate. She’d spent a little over three months in Carnarvon studying her beautiful Tri-horn Erumpent genus, and she had spent the past week wrapping up the last of their research. She had been called to return to London by the Goblins, but they had conceded to her request to spend one last week there settling the last of her research for the time being.

She had spent her last night in Carnarvon camping out with the herd so she could enjoy every last minute. She was definitely conflicted about returning home. She knew that she had to go back, but she was going to miss the gentle creatures who had become such a big part of her life over there.

On the other hand, she was beside herself with excitement to be back within Apparating distance of Severus. She had been missing him terribly since his return to Hogwarts. After their weekend together and their sweet confessions of love she felt even more connected to him than ever. They still wrote to one another once a week, and each of his letters had been signed _‘All my love, Severus_ ’ which had thrilled her to no end.

Sighing heavily, she pushed herself away from the tree providing support to her back, and she walked over to the herd, weaving her way through them until she found the male leader. The male allowed her to pat and caress him, and she tried to impart with her touch what it would not be able to understand her speak.

‘I am going to miss you all,’ she whispered, more to herself than anything.

Luna embraced him, basking in the warmth despite how hot she already was. Finally, she wrenched herself away, knowing it was pointless to linger. She petted a few of the little babies as she walked through them, and with one last glance, she turned towards the town and began her trek back to the village to find her two assistants and the portkey sent to them for their return.

She found them on the edge of the village and felt a deep sadness in the pit of her stomach. This was it – she was going home and leaving behind this wonderful country and the beautiful creatures she had come to love. She offered a sad smile to the boys, and reached out to grasp the old, rusted watering can the two of them were holding.

‘How are you both feeling?’ she asked.

‘Excited to be going home,’ Blair said with a bright smile.

Blair was a sweet young student from Chicago. He was very pretty with light brown hair and green eyes. He would be taking another Portkey from London to New York, and then from there on to Chicago to get home. She didn’t envy the amount of travel he would have to do that day.

‘My mum’s going to be at my throat about my hair,’ Karl said, gesturing at his long, curly mop.

‘I’m sure she will understand,’ Luna said, just as the Portkey began to warm in her hand.

It activated without any further ado, and soon there was a sharp tug at her navel, and they were spinning wildly through the sky and she had to close her eyes to prevent herself from getting dizzy. She felt her breath leave her as she dropped back to her feet, and she opened her eyes to find herself standing in the Portkey office at the Ministry of Magic, still holding the watering can with her two assistants’. She swallowed, her throat dry, and she took a deep breath to fight off the wave of nausea she felt. Portkey travel would never be her favourite.

She bid her colleagues farewell, and she walked out of the Portkey office in a bit of a daze. The grandeur of the buildings was a little overwhelming when compared to the small-world charm of Carnarvon. She already missed the little agricultural town. She wasn’t sure exactly what she was going to do, or where she would go. She had always had a one-track-mind and had been so focused on saying farewell to her gentle giants that she hadn’t planned much further ahead.

She went to the Apparition point, and without too much thought, Disapparated and reappeared near the Hogwarts gates.

Luna summoned her Patronus and sent it to the castle to let Severus know that she was there and stood silently to wait. Ten minutes later, she spotted her dark-haired paramour striding purposefully towards the gates to meet her. He waved his hand at the gates and they opened just enough for her to slip through them and felt a slight tingle as the school wards recognized her.

She felt her eyes swim with tears suddenly and when he was within reach, she flung herself into his arms. He caught her with ease before she buried her face into the front of his robes, allowing the tears she had been holding back all day to flow freely. She sobbed and he simply held her, rubbed her back with one of his large, warm hands, and murmured words of comfort into her ear as she let her emotions out.

‘Come, my love,’ he crooned after a solid ten minutes standing just inside the gate. ‘Let’s go to my quarters and I’ll find you some tea.’

She nodded mutely and allowed him to lead her away from the gate. He took her satchel from her and shouldered it, and she slipped her hand into the crook of his arm, clinging to him as he led the way. Before they entered through the castle doors, he murmured a charm and passed his hand over her face to clean away the tears and other fluids from her face, and they walked side-by-side into the castle. As classes were already over for the day, there were many students roaming the halls, all of them looking stunned to see their stoic professor walking with a woman.

It made her smile a little to know that seeing their professor with a woman was an unusual state of affairs.

He led her down to the dungeons and they stopped in front of a portrait of an older mustachioed wizard in ancient robes, and he muttered the password so that the entry was revealed. She walked ahead of him into his rooms and was pleasantly surprised to see not a single stitch of green or silver in his sitting room. It was warm from the fire lit in the fireplace, and the furniture was wood and leather. Bookshelves full of tomes lined the walls and she could see several different doorways that led to other rooms.

There was a dark burgundy throw rug on the couch, a dark brown and russet rug on the floor, but not a single thing that was nostalgic in sight. Severus had never struck her as the nostalgic sort, and it saddened her to think there wasn’t anything in his life he cared to have something to remind him of.

‘It’s lovely in here,’ she said, perching herself on the couch.

‘I am surprised to see you here,’ he told her, placing her bag on the floor beside her and walking over to a door that led to his kitchen. ‘I would have thought you’d go to see your father on your return.’

She smiled at the apprehension in his voice. This man still didn’t believe that he was worthy of being loved, and she planned to change that very soon.

‘I didn’t even think of that,’ she replied honestly. ‘I missed daddy terribly, but all I could think about when I got to the Ministry was to come and see you. I didn’t even realize I’d been thinking it until I appeared at the gates.’

He came back into the sitting room with two mugs of tea and placed them on the coffee table before sitting beside her. ‘You thought of me first?’ he asked, clearly surprised.

Luna nodded and reached out to cup his cheek, reveling in the familiar smoothness of his sharp face. ‘I missed you,’ she averred, smiling fondly. ‘I knew that you’d understand why I am so sad today.’

‘You miss them.’

She nodded and felt hot tears begin to sting her eyes once more. He moved closer to her and gathered her up into his arms again and as she began to shed tears anew, she had never felt so comforted and safe in her entire life.

\--

To be continued.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Big love to [ Aurora_Borealis3406](/users/Aurora_Borealis3406/) for all of her wonderful work as my beta! x

**Author's Note:**

> Big thank you to my beta [ Aurora_Borealis3406](/users/Aurora_Borealis3406/) for being such a gem! x


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